Are you interested in robotics but need a good starter kit to get you on the road to success? The Tiny Wanderer Complete Kit (available in the Maker Shed) might just be the ticket. The robot was originally developed by the Dallas Personal Robotics Group as a way for beginning members to build up their skills. The Tiny Wanderer is based on the now discontinued SERB platform from Oomlout and can expand with you as your skills increase. The kit includes an ATtiny85 processor for simplified programming but you can easily step up to an Arduino (not included) when you’re ready. The kit uses two IR sensors originally designed to let the bot wander around a tabletop without falling off, but they can be repurposed for obstacle avoidance and line-following.

If you already own a laser cutter the kit is also available in a “parts only” version. Complete build instructions, additional videos, and helpful links can be found on Make:Projects. Also, you may want to check out the Maker Shed’s weekly deal, you just might find an excellent deal on this great robot!

The Maker Shed is brought to you by Maker Media, the makers of MAKE Magazine, the Maker Faire, and much more.

Launched originally as a source for back issues of MAKE Magazine, the Maker Shed expanded rapidly to meet the demand for ‘projects in a box,’ otherwise known as kits. Now we have a little bit of everything for makers, crafters, and budding scientists, from Arduinos to sock monkeys to chemistry sets .